The Depth Chart: 2009 Week 4 Power Rankings

1. New York Giants(No. 1; W, 24-0 vs. TB; No Change)
Cruised to a shutout victory over a bad Buccaneers team. They’re going to be difficult to stop.

2. Indianapolis Colts(No. 2; W, 31-10 vs. Ari; No Change)
Answered a lot of questions when they went on the road and defeated the defending NFC champions.

3. Minnesota Vikings(No. 4; W, 27-24 vs. SF; Up 1)
The sign of a good team is one that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Having a quarterback that can do that makes them a very dangerous team.

4. Baltimore Ravens(No. 5; W, 34-3 vs. Cle; Up 1)
Destroyed a very bad team. With a good offense, they are extremely dangerous and one of the best teams in the league.

5. New Orleans Saints(No. 6; W, 27-7 vs. Buf; Up 1)
Survived a road test against a decent defense but eventually rolled to a big victory. They are one of the league’s most complete teams.

6. New England Patriots(No. 7; W, 26-10 vs. Atl; Up 1)
So many people were ready to write off the Patriots and believed too highly in the mighty Falcons. Brady’s bunch still has a lot of good football left in them.

7. Philadelphia Eagles(No. 8; W, 34-14 vs. KC; Up 1)
More of a tune-up game for Michael Vick to get back into the flow of things. Kansas City actually seems to have regressed since last year and the Eagles just cruised in this one.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers(No. 3; L, 23-20 vs. Cin; Down 5)
Lost to an improved Bengals team. Who would have thought they’d be 1-2 right now? But they’re not a bad team. Still among the AFC’s best.

9. New York Jets(No. 12; W, 24-17 vs. Ten; Up 3)
The Titans, by no means, are a pushover, so what the Jets have done is impressive. I’m a defensive-minded guy, so I like where the Jets are headed.

10. San Diego Chargers(No. 11; W, 23-13 vs. Mia; Up 1)
Still have some defensive problems but took care of business at home against the Wildcat Dolphins.

11. Atlanta Falcons(No. 9; L, 26-10 vs. NE; Down 2)
Still not ready for NFL prime time in my estimation. Have a nice young quarterback and good running game, and a defense that is fairly solid. Just need to put it all together and win a big road game to win me over.

12. Green Bay Packers(No. 14; W, 36-17 vs. Stl; Up 2)
They beat up on a bad Rams team and it was just the pick-me-up game they needed after their home loss to the Bengals last week.

13. Chicago Bears(No. 15; W, 25-19; Up 2)
It didn’t look pretty, but the important thing was that the Bears won a conference game on the road in one of the most difficult places to play. Gotta improve the run game and the pass defense.

14. Dallas Cowboys(No. 18; W, 21-7 vs. Car; Up 4)
Picked up that first victory in the new stadium. Romo played much better than he did the previous week and the Cowboys’ run game had no trouble without Marion Barber.

15. Denver Broncos(No. 20; W, 23-3 vs. Oak; Up 5)
Have beat up on 2 bad teams and were fortunate with a lucky bounce to beat the other. But you have to give credit to them. 3-0 is still 3-0.

16. Cincinnati Bengals(No. 21; W, 23-20; Up 5)
Finally got the monkey off their backs and beat the Steelers at home, something they haven’t done in the last half-decade or so. Looking like a formidable team.

17. Tennessee Titans(No. 10; L, 24-17 vs. NYJ; Down 7)
I don’t know too many people who would have projected an 0-3 start to the season for them. They still have a lot of talent but could use an easier schedule.

18. Arizona Cardinals(No. 13; L, 31-10 vs. Ind; Down 5)
I didn’t figure the Cardinals would break the Super Bowl runner-up curse, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt and predicted a win at home vs. the Colts. I was wrong. But I was right about the curse: they’re not very good.

19. San Francisco 49ers(No. 16; L, 27-24 vs. Min; Down 3)
Frankly, I didn’t think the 49ers had much of a chance against the Vikings. I expected them to keep it close but I didn’t think they’d have the victory stolen from them with seconds left in the game. They’ve got a bright season ahead of them.

20. Carolina Panthers(No. 17; L, 21-7 vs. Dal; Down 3)
I never expected the Panthers to be this bad. Usually, a strong run game and defense will take you where you want to go, but that hasn’t been the case.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars(No. 26; W, 31-24 vs. Hou; Up 5)
Very surprising, yet solid road victory over the Texans. Matt Schaub still had a big game for the Texans, but the Jaguars’ run game was much more effective.

22. Houston Texans(No. 19; L, 31-24 vs. Jac; Down 3)
They continue to be one of the most polarizing teams in the league. I can’t figure them out from one week to the next. They beat a solid Titans team on the road but lose at home to a floundering Jaguars squad?

23. Washington Redskins(No. 22; L, 19-14 vs. Det; Down 1)
They’re just a bumbling team with no direction. And it’s not even as if the Lions shocked the world by beating them because many — myself included — predicted it would happen. Jim Zorn is on the hot seat for sure.

24. Buffalo Bills(No. 23; L, 27-7 vs. NO; Down 1)
Uh-oh, T.O. is not happy. That took all of three weeks. But can you blame him? He’s got great talent and the Bills basically ignored him against the Saints.

25. Seattle Seahawks(No. 24; L, 25-19 vs. Chi; Down 1)
The team surely missed many of its starters due to injury and lacked the talent necessary to punch it into the end zone, with the exception of the first score of the game.

26. Miami Dolphins(No. 25; L, 23-13 vs. SD; Down 1)
This team is missing a lot of pieces and it doesn’t surprise me that their gimmick offense is off to a slow start this season.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers(No. 27; L, 24-0 vs. NYG; No Change)
Could be one of, if not the worst team in the league when it’s all said and done. They may soon regret hiring such a young and inexperienced head coach.

28. Oakland Raiders(No. 28; L, 23-3 vs. Den; No Change)
I’ve given up trying to figure out this team. With a strong opening-week performance against the Chargers, I thought this young team full of playmakers was on the verge of turning a corner, but the average Broncos put them back in their place.

29. Detroit Lions(No. 32; W, 19-14 vs. Was; Up 3)
How ’bout them Lions? I knew since Week 1 that they weren’t the worst team in the league because they showed me enough improvement in their 2 losses. But they had to win a game first before I could move them up.

30. Kansas City Chiefs(No. 29; L, 34-13 vs. Phi; Down 1)
I honestly think this team has regressed under new coach Todd Haley. They looked like an emerging threat at the end of last season with a young, dynamic offense that was capable of putting up points. Now, they look just plain bad.

31. Cleveland Browns(No. 30; L, 34-3 vs. Bal; Down 1)
I would’ve said this might be a one-and-done situation for Coach Mangini, but he was paid well for this job and I’ve heard that he and the GM are close. It could be a long, painful season for the Browns.

32. St. Louis Rams(No. 31; L, 36-17 vs. GB; Down 1)
I think the Rams have enough talent and good enough coaching to win a few games this year, but they have a ways to go.

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